Harry and friends take a pleasure flightNiko the pilot says it will be all rightYet Harry once airborne is full of fear“Niko, my friend, get me out of here”*** “I want to go home I can take it no more!”Before they know it he opens the doorOut of the cabin, he clings on the plane“Get me down Niko, I’ll fly never again!” ***Caro leans out and speaks sternly to Harry“Are you the brave man I wanted to marry?You’re behaving now like a big-girl’s blouseWhat are you really? A mouse or a Louse?”

My book Harry the Louse goes to the dogsWhile once more I focus on writing blogsSo two birds I’ll kill with one large rockThis blogging business is poppycock***The first in my sights, my damned editorWhatever I write she demands far moreThe next perhaps Harry’s golden gooseShall I rewrite her as a grabbing moose?***Harry thought she was just right for himElegant, sexy, well-heeled and slimIt turns out that she’s no bimbo blondeThe type of woman of which he’s fond***She’s with poor Harry when he’s robbedShe felt his anguish while he sobbed,‘The thieving swine’s taken all my cashBut to lend to me would just be rash’***He sits there hurt with blooded noseHis building plans beset by woes‘I will not let you invest your moneyIn Cretan dreams of milk and honey’***Could his refusal be calculationTo hide his plan’s examinationDoes he believe that by saying noMore likely to him her cash will flow?

My webpage is lacking something, I have to toil yet moreMy editor wants more verses, she says only poems soar.

‘My novel, it will suffer when mere days would see it done!’

‘Your lousy story’s not wanted; folk find poetry more fun.’

***

Harry the Louse was sidelined, I yielded to her request

I sadly pulled the plug on him when almost at his best

Convincingly he’d whispered, sweet words to a dishy blonde

She took him to her hotel room to stroke his magic wand

***

It excited her the thing she saw, she believed t’would do the trickShe hoped he would lead gently in, not wave his wand too quickThe lights were dim upon the scene, her cunning barely showing

As Harry moved towards her charms, his magic wand a-glowing***

The stage was set most carefully, she squirmed with expectationShe took his wand with outstretched hand, an act of supplication

But in urgency she pulled too hard, caused the wand to blow a fuseAnd brought a damp squib ending that neither one would choose***I have given Harry a firm promise, I’ll just focus on my bookHer demands for rhyming verse put him firmly on the hook

The Greek gravy train hits the buff€rsEurope looks away as a nation suffers

‘Don’t ask us for help with your plightYou owe us big time, it’s ours by rightSo clear off back to crumbling GreeceToil day and night and never ceaseThings for you will get no betterUntil no longer are you a debtor’
€€€What next for Tsipras and VaroufakisHeading for home to sink some rakis?Short shrift they had from Europe’s eliteSo it’s back to Athens to take some heatWhat the Greek people have now is plainTsipras is Samaras with a different nameSome say he fooled his voters and liedBut kinder folk say his hands were tied.€€€ Each year the Greeks celebrate ‘Ochi’ dayWhen Mussolini learned there was no wayHe could trample across Hellenic landsWith his fascist troops and cut-throat bandsHis march on Greece brought bloody noseHe called friend Adolf to fight his foesDuring four long years jackboots dictatedBy most of Greece his men were hated
€€€Yet now left-wing Syriza bends its kneeTo the new-found strength of GermanyThe tragedy goes way beyond the shoresOf Greek democracy, ideals and lawsThis new Europe in which we’re all thrustIs the very antithesis of democracy’s trustA principle established in ancient GreeceTo serve the people and keep the peace
€€€The EU was set-up to stop Europe’s warsSome say it now settles far earlier scoresTo trample roughshod over a nation’s rightTo protect its people and stand and fightShould Syriza fly the white flag of defeatAnd grovel once more at the tyrant’s feet?Better a brand new F’Ochi-off dayThan let moneyed tyrants have their say €€€The people didn’t vote to bear this crossOf a dictating Europe that thinks it’s bossThe German euro will bring nothing but painSo throw it out – raise the drachma again!Take courage Tsipras, put democracy firstOr end up a failure and be forever cursedGreece has no choice the euro to leaveGather your strength and give it the heave

‘You must write another poem, that’s what they’re waiting for.’‘But my novel’s nearly finished, twelve days should see it done!’‘They don’t want your heavy novels, a poem’s much more fun.’*** Harry the Louse is once more sidelined, my editor’s in commandThis constant switching Harry on and off, is getting out of handSuccessfully he’d whispered, sweet words to a well-heeled blondeThey’d headed to her hotel room to try out his magic wand*** She was excited by the promise made, she looked forward to his trickShe hoped he would prepare his ground, not wave his wand too quickShe set the stage with coloured lights, her cunning just revealingA grand showing he would make, of his magic wand’s concealing*** The stage was set, as were the props, she pulsed with anticipation Harry prepared to thrust his wand and cause a great sensationHis mobile rang demandingly, perhaps with something tragicHis face went white, his poor wand fell and Harry lost his magic *** He has made me swear a promise, I must learn to wait a tickAnd ignore all demands for poetry, while I write a Harry trickWhich is the more important asked our persuasive lady killerBlog-standard rambling verse or a potential first-class thriller?

The Greeks know 'twill be a messThere is no need to second guessToday they are feeling full of hopeBut when they see he cannot copeAnd to the Troika he bows his headAll hope they had will then be dead

He will hold out that begging bowlFor German money to fill the holeBerlin's finest will moan and groanYet find the cash for another loanThe Greeks will never lose their debtThe hopes they had will not be met

There is one chance to yet be freeNo longer broken on bended kneeThe accursed Euro, in fact's the sameAs the Deutschmark with another nameThe Greeks will better days not seeUntil they ditch this damned currency

Tis a cruel hope to expect real gainsShackled by Krupp & Co steel chains
No more u-boats or mighty tanksNo more in hock to foreign banksWith the Drachma back in circulationA chance to construct a better nation
However, it is hard to break this linkTo others' rule when you cannot thinkPut a man in power, remove his brainPuff him with pride, he'll not think againA broken man, he now cries and garbles'I blame Lord Elgin, he stole our Marbles'﻿

The Greek gravy train has a head of steamNow crewed by the Syriza winning teamThey planned their route, it’s all set downFlags and bunting decorate every townTheir plan is simple, although brand newIs it perhaps something we all should do?
Free transportation for the frail and oldTheir daring plan is foolproof yet so boldThousands of jobs created from thin airOther countries leaders just don’t careIf they did, would they not do the same?They would magic jobs and play the game

Jobs for the boys and for our women tooYou’ll be paid for sleeping and on the looWhile our new plans fill Europe with rageWe will pay you at least, a minimum wageFrom where will all this fine money comeTo take the Greek population off its bum?
The government will get much-needed cashBy taxing the rich and squeezing their stashConglomerates too, will pay a bigger shareBusinesses everywhere will pay, that’s fairPoor brave Syriza, they just cannot knowWhen you tax the rich they usually up and go

Businesses across the land will simply relocateCorporation tax revenues fall and costs escalateSoon the government will run out of steamA year, perhaps two, then a shattered dreamOut will come once more the begging bowlPlease Deutschland dig us from this awful hole
We kept faith with the euro as you dictatedOur economy stands battered and decimatedAchtung! Do not plant these seeds here sownGreece must blow the whistle on the Eurozone